Plum Advance Leader category, Page 95
Off-leash dogs and cyclists may be permanently allowed in Oakmont’s Dark Hollow Woods
Cycling and dogs running off-leash might be a permanent fixture in Dark Hollow Woods in Oakmont as the recreation board pushes for a change in borough policy. What was to be a six-month trial period to test the activities in the publicly owned park near Crystal Drive has now lasted...
Advance Leader-area real estate transactions, Aug. 2
Oakmont Arturo Barraza sold property at 1525 Pinehurst Lane to Cayla Meinert for $224,250. Plum Edward Klein sold property at 109 Carriage Drive to Arun and Krimeen Lama for $284,900. Estate of Gary Edward Price sold property at 110 Dinwiddie Drive to Demetrius Kokales and Madison Long for $178,000. Peter...
Bridge work will close Pa. Turnpike between Allegheny Valley, Pittsburgh exits early Sunday
The placement of beams for the Unity-Trestle Road bridge in Plum will require a five-hour closure of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s eastbound lanes beginning late Saturday night. The Turnpike will be closed between the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48) in Harmar and Pittsburgh (Exit 57) exit in Monroeville, from 11:49 p.m. on...
Plum 12U Cooperstown team earns runner-up finish at Cal Ripken tournament
When one door closed, another opened for the Plum 12U Cooperstown baseball team. When the team found out its spring Cooperstown, N.Y., tournament trip was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, it hoped to find other opportunities to compete. One opportunity came in the form of a tournament at the...
Plum School District officials push back start of upcoming school year to Sept. 2
Plum School District officials have delayed the start of the upcoming school year due to covid-19 concerns. Superintendent Brendan Hyland announced the change in a letter to parents, which was also posted on the front page of the district’s website Tuesday. Plum classes for the 2020-21 school year will start...
Riverview students to start 1st 9 weeks of new school year online
Riverview School District students will spend their first nine weeks of the new school year learning online. It’s part of the reopening plan school board members unanimously approved Monday night. Incoming Superintendent Neil English said the administration has heard from parents, staff and Allegheny County health officials the past two...
Plum real estate transactions, July 27
Plum Boyce Park Development Corp. sold property on Darlan Hill Drive to Michael Ricciuti and Melissa Marie Webb for $7,192. Vadim Reshetnyak sold property at 559 Deborah Jane Drive to Brianne Smail for $185,000. James Gaston III sold property at 1050 Locharron Court to Ryan and Lindsay Ondo for $389,746....
Riverview School District presents reopening plan
Oakmont and Verona families will have the option of their students returning to schools or continuing online learning as part of Riverview School District’s reopening plan. “We know family circumstances can change, student health can change at any time,” Verner Elementary Principal Tina Monroe said at a virtual town hall...
Grant sought to fix flooding problems at Oakmont Commons
Oakmont officials plan to seek a $500,000 grant to help fix flooding problems in the Oakmont Commons housing development. Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday proclaiming its intent to apply for the funds through the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Flood Mitigation Program. Borough Manager Scot Fodi said the deadline for the...
Oakmont retaining wall project along Allegheny River Boulevard could get more expensive
A retaining wall beautification project along Allegheny River Boulevard near the Oakmont and Verona border is underway. Apollo-based Santamaria Landscaping crews are about two weeks into their three-month effort to restore the wall near the viaduct between the two boroughs. Construction signs and traffic cones are used in the morning...
Plum’s Movies in the Park series concludes next month
Plum’s last installment of Movies in the Park this season is set for Aug. 8 at Larry Mills Park. The borough presents “Scoob.” Produced by Warner Animation Group, the film is a modern take on the Scooby-Doo franchise. It tells a story about the lovable mutt and his gang of...
Portion of Route 286 to see traffic restricted as crews begin overnight road work
A portion of Route 286 in Plum will be restricted to one lane starting Tuesday night, PennDOT officials announced Monday. Traffic will be reduced to one lane between Old Frankstown Road and Hileah Drive as crews work through the night. Restrictions will happen from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday...
Plum real estate transactions, July 20
Plum Terence Churilla sold property at 861 Blue Ridge Road to Lucas Tucci and Courtney Coll for $199,900. NVR Inc. sold property at 501 October Court to Tariq and Elizabeth Francis for $437,155. NVR Inc. sold property at 408 September Drive to Susan Kelly trustee for $331,375. NVR Inc. sold...
Plum School District hires digital learning director
Plum School District officials have hired a virtual learning director to help lead their online learning efforts during the covid-19 pandemic. Preston Hartman, an assistant principal at Seton-La Salle High School, was unanimously appointed to the position July 16. Superintendent Brendan Hyland said Hartman was selected out of 22 candidates...
Plum’s stormwater task force has vacancies to fill to move forward with ongoing work
Plum’s stormwater management task force has two spots available for residents interested in helping address flooding problems. Rick Vigno and chairman Carlos Escalante recently resigned from their appointed posts. Letters of interest can be sent to the borough office, 4575 New Texas Road, or apply online at link.plumboro.com/stormapp. A deadline...
27-day closure of Saltsburg Road in Plum has lengthy detours
Drivers will have to contend with lengthy detours while a section of Saltsburg Road in Plum is closed for 27 days starting Saturday. While the posted detour for passenger vehicles is about 11 miles, the one for commercial truck traffic is more than twice as long. Saltsburg Road (Route 380)...
Plum residents show support for, opposition to school director over Facebook post
Plum residents had mixed reactions to a controversial post by a school board member in a private social media page. More than a dozen people came to Thursday night’s special meeting with many calling for the resignation of board member Amy Wetmore for her comments on the Black Lives Matter...
Plum School District officials approve reopening plan, options for parents
Plum School District’s reopening plan gives parents a choice to maintain their children’s distance learning or send them back into school next month. The plan, which is available for review at the district’s website, was approved by an 8-1 vote at a special meeting Thursday night. School Director Michelle Stepnick...
Portion of Saltsburg Road in Plum to be closed for turnpike bridge work
Saltsburg Road, between Monroeville-Trestle Road and Davidson Road, will be closed beginning July 18 for crews to complete the new bridge structure over the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Davidson Road, according to the borough’s website. The Turnpike Commission expects construction to occur around the clock and seven days a week. It...
Facebook post has some Plum officials calling for the resignation of a school director
A Facebook post by Plum School Director Amy Wetmore has some borough officials calling for her resignation. The post in question was made on July 8 by the school board’s finance committee liaison in a private page called “Black Lives Matter In Plum Boro.” It appears to have been made...
New owners thrilled to purchase quirky Plum homeVideo
The couple that bought a unique house on Rainier Drive in Plum won’t change much about their new home. “It’s right up our alley,” said Nick Sarver, just days after he and his wife, Katelyn, moved into John Cope’s getaway house he rebuilt as Epoc I. The castle-starship-beach-hippie house in...
Advance Leader-area student news for July 14
Izabel Bruno of Verona, a political science major, was named to the Plymouth State University president’s list for the spring 2020 semester. To be named to the president’s list, a student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.7 or better and must have attempted at least 12 credit hours during...
Plum officials promote police detective to assistant chief, patrolman to detective
Plum officials promoted from within when selecting a new assistant police chief and juvenile detective. Mark Focareta and Joe Little were unanimously appointed to their respective new positions by a 6-0 vote Monday night. Council Vice President Dave Vento was absent. Both were sworn in by Mayor Harry Schlegel. Focareta,...
Oakmont adds email option to alert system
Oakmont officials recently added an email option to the borough’s alert system in an effort to reach more residents. The borough last year launched a free mobile phone text alert notification to provide emergency and nonemergency communications to residents and businesses. Borough Manager Scot Fodi said they added another option...
Dispatcher: Verona authorities rescue person who fell off Jet Ski in Allegheny River
A person who fell off a Jet Ski in the Allegheny River near Arch Street in Verona on Sunday, July 12, was transported to an area hospital, an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. Verona police and fire departments were dispatched at about 7 p.m. They could not be reached...
